Ravi Coltrane to Perform at Amador Theater February 8, 2008

Named for Indian sitar artist Ravi Shankar, Coltrane is the son of music legends John and Alice Coltrane. He grew up hearing a variety of music and began playing clarinet in middle school. Coltrane pursued musical studies at the California Institute of Art and, in 1991, began playing with Elvin Jones, his father's drummer from the 60s. He moved to New York City and played with a variety of artists, including Steve Coleman, who was particularly influential.

In 1997, after performing on more than 30 recordings as a sideman, Coltrane recorded his first album as a leader, Moving Pictures. In 2002, he established his own recording company, RKM Music. That same year, he produced Legacy, a four-disc thematic study of his father's career for Verve. He continues his role as family archivist of the senior Coltrane's unreleased material and is working on new projects with Verve.

Over the past decade, Coltrane has led a number of jazz ensembles and brought his mother out of a 26-year performing hiatus with their recording, along with several other notable artists, of Translinear Light. Of Coltrane' fourth album, In Flux, the New York Times wrote, "He's fascinated on one hand by miniatures and on the other by the idea of longer songs that sounds like collective improvisation from start to finish. It's a record that you can point to and say, 'This is what jazz sounds like now in New York.'"

Coltrane adds, "I want to be involved in music that is truly honest; that's not trying to follow trends or fit into someone's idea about what jazz is. My aspiration is to acknowledge with love my influences while attempting to move forward; to be open and receptive to shifts in the musical terrain; to make music that is relevant to my present day experience."

$30, $35 & $40 for adults; $20, $25 & $30 for students (with ID); on line, (925) 931-3444 or Box Office at 1155 Santa Rita Road, Pleasanton. Box Office hours are Monday thru Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and two hours prior to each performance.

Official Website: http://www.civicartstickets.org